


A Productive Afternoon

by Kingrey



Series: Rapunzel Appreciation Week [6]
Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, like... some freaking out but mostly fluff and kisses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:54:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25635373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kingrey/pseuds/Kingrey
Summary: Rapunzel Appreciation Week Day Six: BrunetteSlowly, she threaded her fingers through her hair again, feeling its length by holding onto the tips. There was only one conclusion to make:Nigel was right. Her hair was growing.
Relationships: Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel
Series: Rapunzel Appreciation Week [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1849966
Comments: 12
Kudos: 52





	A Productive Afternoon

**Author's Note:**

> I think I like this one so, there's that!! I love short hair Rapunzel so much 🥺💕
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy!!

Sat in front of her vanity, peering closer at her reflection in the mirror, Rapunzel felt conflicted. She was softly running her hand through her hair, and couldn't help the uneasy feeling taking roots inside her.

It all started with a one off comment from _Nigel_ , of all people. Rapunzel and her parents had just finished their hearings for today, and, overall, Rapunzel was satisfied with how most of it was handled. Now that time had passed, and that she was starting to get more and more involved in the process, Rapunzel had discovered that she didn't have quite the same opinions as her father when it concerned ruling. They always tried to find a balance, but she was glad that, today, it hadn't been needed.

Rapunzel was wondering if she had time to check on the new mural project in town before she had any other duty, when she heard Nigel calling for her.

"Oh, and, your Highness?"

"Yes Nigel?" she smiled, in a good mood.

"It is nice to see that you're letting your hair grow again, it definitely gives you a more dignified look," he said, sounding pleased, before leaving the room to go talk to her father.

It was only one comment, that shouldn't have had so much hold over her but, after that, she didn't have the heart to go into town. She hesitated for a long time, before going back to her bedroom, which led her to her current situation of examining herself in the mirror. Slowly, she threaded her fingers through her hair again, feeling its length by holding onto the tips. There was only one conclusion to make:

Nigel was right. Her hair _was_ growing.

She didn't even know how she could have missed this now that it felt so clear - perhaps she simply wasn't paying attention. The wick that had been cut by Gothel when she was a baby had never grown again and, in the six months after what Eugene called her Dramatic Haircut, it had shown no sign of growing either. How could have she expected that this time wouldn't be like the last?

It made sense in a way. Last time, she had still been the sundrop, even though she had lost her hair - maybe the power dormant in her was only waiting for the right occasion to grow back. But today, after beating Zhan Tiri and banishing the sundrop and the moonstone to the heavens, she was only Rapunzel. Normal human Rapunzel, with normal human hair that grew.

She checked one last time that it was really the case, but Rapunzel knew her hair. The tips were supposed to be more spiky, but the few inches she had gained were already weighing it down enough to straighten it somehow. Rapunzel sighed, and put her head in her arms so she didn't have to face the mirror anymore.

Pascal squeaked softly, his tone interrogative, and she raised her eyes just enough to see him looking right at her, head cocked to the side.

"I don't know Pascal," she mumbled, "I guess there's nothing wrong with my hair being able to grow. It's what hair do, right?"

He nodded tentatively, but she hid her head in her arms again, looking dejected.

"I mean, Nigel said I looked more dignified, whatever that means," she grumbled, voice muffled. "And mom's hair looks nice, I could probably pull off mid-length hair, I- I... _No_ ," she exclaimed suddenly.

She hit the table with her palms and sprang up from her chair, startling Pascal so bad he turned the colour of the vanity for a moment. Heart still beating too fast, he shot her a mean look that she completely missed as she was pacing her bedroom, arms crossed.

"No, this is stupid," she ranted, "dignified? I _already_ look dignified, this haircut is a symbol of my freedom, of- of me taking my destiny in my own hands, how much more dignified could I be?"

She threw her arms open as if to say "see", to which Pascal could only nod, trying to look serious as she resumed her pacing.

"I loved my long hair, I loved how it helped me heal and protect those I loved, but it's also the reason I was kidnapped, and the reason my kingdom was in danger and- argh," she sighed, putting her hands in her hair to tug lightly on it, "this is complicated."

Pascal hesitated, before nodding again, less confidently this time. It seemed to placate Rapunzel nonetheless, and she went to sit on the edge of her bed, looking calmer. Pascal, who hadn't moved from the vanity since the beginning of her rant, made his way to her silently, until she gave him a soft smile and opened her hands for him to settle in.

"The first time…" Rapunzel trailed off, and Pascal patted her thumb gently. "The first time, Eugene used all his remaining energy to cut my hair. He was bleeding, and in pain, and _dying_ -"

Her breathing hitched. It took her a few more seconds before she could continue.

"Despite all of that, despite how it could heal him, he cut my hair because he knew that it was the only way to make me free," she whispered. Pascal knew that all too well. These events… They would stay engraved in their minds forever. Rapunzel squared her shoulders, trying to sound more confident. "And then, when _I_ had the choice, all I could think about was stopping Zhan Tiri. The length of my hair had no importance in the great scheme of things, because saving everyone was the priority and… and I like what my short hair represents," she exclaimed, vindicated as Pascal nodded vigorously. "Screw what Nigel think!"

"I have no context but yeah, screw Nigel," a familiar voice interrupted with a chuckle.

"Eugene!"

Rapunzel stood up, setting Pascal down on her shoulder as she rushed to give her fiancé a hug. Eugene gasped dramatically at the force she threw herself at him, but didn't even step back, instead hugging her tighter in his arms and nearly making her feet leave the ground.

"Missed me, Sunshine?" he laughed gently, pushing her hair from her face.

"Always," she grinned back, "this morning's breakfast feels like it was eons ago."

"I missed you too," he answered, his voice much softer than the joke required - because it wasn't one, truly.

Their lives were busy nowadays, and Rapunzel thought they didn't spend nearly enough time in each other's company since the proposal. The wedding would come soon, she reminded herself, and they would have all the time in the world on their honeymoon. When they broke the hug, Eugene went to sit on her bed and she joined him, resuming her previous position, when Pascal decided to settle next to her. Eugene took off his Captain's gloves, and held her hand tightly in his, the feeling of his skin warm and comforting against hers.

"So," he said, "what did Nigel do?"

Rapunzel groaned, putting her head on Eugene's shoulder dejectedly. "Please don't tell him what I said," she asked, making Eugene snort, "it was mean. He didn't mean any harm."

"Okay, promise, but what happened? It's not because he didn't mean to that he didn't _cause_ harm, right?"

She glanced up, head still on his shoulder, and saw that he was looking down at her fondly, his thumb going over her knuckles in a gentle, soothing movement. She shifted to be closer to him and closed her eyes, breathing in deep.

"My hair is… growing. Nigel said it made me look _more dignified_."

"Oh," Eugene exhaled, and she knew he understood exactly what was her problem.

She remembered, when all of this - her life at the castle, her haircut, even their relationship - was still new, when they were still testing each other's boundaries. She remembered an evening when Eugene sneaked his way into her room, startling her until she saw how worried he looked. She remembered hushed conversations where he tried to apologise, of all things, for cutting her hair this short, and for depriving her of her powers, and for not having found a better solution and _you must hate me, right, I'm sorry-_

She remembered kissing him, as softly as she could despite the emotions burning in her, because she couldn’t believe he didn't know just how much she didn't care about any of that. He was alive. That was all that ever mattered, in the end.

She had tried to be open with him, as much as possible, because she didn't want him to doubt that she loved her new hair despite her still confusing feelings on everything. She had talked to him about it so often, that he knew immediately why her hair growing back was such big news - he could immediately guess how much it was messing with her, to have the _possibility_ of not having short hair anymore.

The familiarity would be nice, for sure. She still expected a weight that was missing when she was moving, still expected her hair to brush her shoulders and back during the day, and sometimes, her reflection in the mirror felt like that of a stranger, compared to the golden paintings in her journal.

Rapunzel knew that missing something didn't mean that you wanted it back. It was a difficult lesson to learn, however.

(In the middle of the night, when there had been no one but herself and her thoughts, she had missed Gothel. She had been ashamed of that for a long time - and still was, in a way, despite talking about it to her loved ones. But just like the feeling of her hair had never truly disappeared with it, she couldn't help but imagine Gothel's laugh, sometimes, when Rapunzel knew she would have enjoyed something. There were ghosts that never truly went away, no matter how much we wished them gone.)

"What do you want to do?" Eugene asked, his voice interrupting her thoughts as he leant his head against hers.

"I…"

What did she want to do? Her hair had barely grown that she was already having a crisis about it. For a long time, her hair had kept her prisoner, first of Gothel and then of her destiny - but it also gave her so many possibilities. She could climb and swing around easily, she protected her family with it and, for all that it might have cost her, she was still grateful for what it gave her. But did that mean she wanted longer hair?

"I don't," she whispered, before continuing, louder, "I want to keep my hair short. And spiky, even if that means I look less dignified."

"Hey now, you look dignified no matter what," Eugene protested, before kissing her forehead to make her smile. "Also, dignified doesn't really means anything."

"Right?" she exclaimed, raising her head quickly. "Yes, I may not look like your usual Princess, but that haircut means so much more than simply looking good does, you can't be more "dignified" than that!"

Eugene hummed, sounding amused, before his other hand turned her face towards him gently. "You know, even if it meant nothing at all, you could want your hair short and spiky, and no one would have any right to say anything about it. This suits _you_ , Rapunzel. And no matter what you decide to do with your hair-"

"Even going bald?"

"Even goin- _what?_ "

Eugene sputtered, thrown off guard, before laughing when Rapunzel raised her eyebrows twice in a bad flirting imitation. It wasn't often that she took him by surprise enough to make him so genuinely laugh, but she loved these occasions with all her heart - Eugene had the nicest laugh she had ever heard. She released his hand only to sneak her fingers behind his neck, right at the nap of his hair, pulling him close enough that she could kiss the tip of his nose. She was pretty happy to gather a lovely blush out of this.

"Even bald," Eugene repeated, voice low - but it didn't need to be louder, not when there was practically no distance between them. "I love you, Rapunzel."

She tried to think of something to say, she really did, but Eugene’s lips were right there, whispering the sweetest things - so she kissed them. And then, he was kissing her back, his hands going lower around her waist, and she probably was the one responsible for making them fall on the bed so she could get above him. She took a breath, feeling his warm body under hers, opening her eyes to see his flushed face and his half-opened mouth as he watched her, and she kissed him again, burying her hands in his hair.

They lost track of time, after that.

"You should cut my hair," she said after a while, head resting on his chest.

Eugene snorted, not stopping the meaningless patterns he was tracing on her back. "I would make an awful job."

"I'll guide you. I want it to be messy anyway."

"And spiky."

"And spiky," she echoed with a smile. "I can't be looking too dignified on the job now, can I?"

"We wouldn't want that," he laughed, his chest moving with his voice. "I should probably go back, though, before Pete set something on fire-"

Before he could even try to move, Rapunzel enlaced him in her arms, making sure he wouldn't be able to get up without at least lifting her with him. She had missed him, these last days. Had missed touching him, holding him close, kissing him until they both forgot their own name. She had thought she could wait until the wedding was here, but she couldn't - and she wasn't about to let him leave now.

"You're on an official break, mandated by the Princess herself," she announced, trying and failing to keep her voice even and regal when her face was smushed against his uniform.

"Oh? And what's the reason for this break, your Highness?"

She lifted her head so she could see the smirk adorning his lips. She knew him well enough to know where his mind was going, and the hand making its way even lower on her back was more than proving her assumption to be correct.

"A nap," she answered anyway, feeling a blush creeping on her cheeks.

"Only a nap?" he teased.

"Only a nap. We need it." Eugene hummed good-heartedly, but his hand inched lower anyway.

Suffice to say that they didn't "only nap" - but Rapunzel also convinced Eugene to cut her hair in between kisses, so she still counted that as a productive afternoon.

**Author's Note:**

> me: this is about Rapunzel's hair  
> also me: and what if,,, they kIsSEd  
> I AM WEAK FOR NEW DREAM OKAY but I guess you guys know that now 😂 Tbh I hc that Rapunzel's hair doesn't start to grow after the finale but even if it did grow back, I do think Rapunzel would keep it as is!!
> 
> I ignored the drop of TUA's s2 to write this fhsksk what I wouldn't do for new dream
> 
> Anyway!! I hope you liked this!! Tomorrow's already the end of RAW 🥺 I'll try not to be late!!


End file.
